Page 5 of Unholy

“Ben, seriously. You’ve been looking forward to this for a long time. Don’t let him get under your skin. I know he isn’t getting under mine.” He nods his head, but I don’t know what he’s thinking right now. I have too much at stake to get in the middle of a mess with the likes of Tristan. I have school, and there’s no way I’m letting someone like him get in the way of that. It’s far too important to me.

“You’re probably right. I’ve just been on edge lately, and I don’t like it.”

“Why? What’s going on?” He looks down at me, and I already know what it is. I won’t say a thing to him because it’s nothing for him to worry over. I shake my head and raise my hand to stop whatever might be coming out of his mouth next.

“It’s fine. Don’t think about that,” I remind him once more as if I haven’t reminded him a million other times.

“It’s not. It’s very cultish, Ash.”

“No, it’s not. Is it old school? Yes, it is, but it’s not cultish.” Ben shakes his head, and I know this bothers him, but there’s nothing we can do right now. I have to follow and obey the Lord’s word, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do.

“I still don’t like it.”

“It doesn’t matter. Nothing matters but us, right?” I ask him when he throws his arm around my shoulder and pulls me into his side.

“You’re right. And when I come back from camp, we’re getting engaged. I want you out of that house as soon as possible.”

“Ben-” I start to argue that we aren’t ready for that, but he doesn’t listen.

“No. I mean it. We’re getting engaged. Maybe not married right away, but the sooner we’re engaged, the better.” I sigh, wondering if he might be right.

“Okay. But don’t bring this up to anyone until after okay?”

“I wouldn’t do that. I have some planning to do,” he chuckles as we walk down the block. We turn around and head back to the house when I hear the loud music. I look up at Ben before looking toward the small basement window. That’s where I see Tristan with a paintbrush.

“I don’t even want to know,” I mumble as Ben walks me up the steps and closer to the door.

“You sure about this?”

“I’m fine, Ben. I promise.” He leans in and kisses my cheek, and I smile in return. I watch him walk back to the driveway to his car before I head inside.

Curiosity gets the better of me, and I walk over, open the basement door, and slowly descend the steps. When I reach the bottom, I see him. Shirtless with a paintbrush in hand. The music was so loud he didn’t hear me come down.

I watch as he angrily paints the walls black. I listen to his music but there’s so much screaming I can’t make out the words, not that it matters. I’m drawn to him. And then I see the fallen angel tattoo that covers his whole back.

My lips part as I take in all the lines and shading. My eyes move from him to the exact painting on the wall. My eyes roam over the painting, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it. The detail, the colors.

I’m lost in the painting, and I can’t seem to find my way out.

“See something you like?” I scream when I hear his voice so close to me. Tristan reaches up and covers my mouth with his hand, and only then do I realize the music has been turned off and all the lights are on.

“You going to scream again?” he asks me. I shake my head, and he slowly moves his hand from my mouth. “You’re in my space.”

“Did you … did you paint that?” He looks over his shoulder as if he doesn’t know what I’m talking about before looking back at me.

“Yeah. So?”

“That’s … I’ve never seen anything like that.”

“That’s kind of the point,” he tells me.

“You’re very talented. They said you sculpted, but I didn’t know you painted, too.”

“Does that impress you, Little Nun?” he asks, stepping closer to me. I can feel the heat coming off him, and it suffocates me.

“It’s … intriguing, is all.”

“Hmm. That’s all?”

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